Microsoft could benefit from Tellme’s relationships with companies like FedEx Corp. and AT&T Inc., which use Tellme technology to offer voice-based phone services to their own customers. It could also build Tellme’s technology into other products — for instance, allowing users of handheld devices running on Windows Mobile software to search the Internet using voice commands.

The talks were first reported by TechCrunch last month, with the blog reporting that profitable Tellme had raised $239 million.

Tellme has numerous connections to the Seattle technology community. It was co-founded by Hadi Partovi, the former Microsoft executive who now runs Seattle-based iLike. Former Microsoft vice president Brad Silverberg — now a founding partner of Bellevue-based Ignition Partners — was an early investor.

Microsoft has not made a big acquisition in some time, but as we all know they certainly have the cash pile to pull this off.